I get it that the Man is keeping you down and might be a bit racist too. But if you’re not breaking the law then showing the officer your ID and saying what you’re up to is a public service. 1,200 people got street checked in 2016, it would only cost $60,000 dollars to pay out the money.
I (a fucking white male) got street checked when I was 17 or so, sitting in a suburban cul-de-sac in a shitty Honda Civic late at night alone—really what’s the big deal? —Stop trying to make everything about racism, or it will be
This article appears in Jan 12-18, 2017.
So nothing happened to your lily white ass. And that’s because you have a lily white ass. If you were black, you wouldn’t be singing this tune – harassment from racist white arseholes is a daily reality for minorities, not some random check stop.
Without actual proof that these checks have an justifiable impact they are nothing more than unfettered and intrusive information collection exercises.
I think we need to wait for the analysis to see why. One reason offered was the significant increasw in crimes taking place in the city. I think if you look back do the extraordinary number of murders and violent crimes taking place in the black community that’s may be one explanation. I think it’s a reasonable one than racism.
I, as well, have an opinion that I would like to contribute to this discussion. If you would politely follow along whilst I disseminate my thoughts on the subject, which I have accrued through careful inspection of available source material and introspective consideration, it will invariably bring light to my complex understanding of the topic at hand. It is my duty, my ambitious responsibility, and my dire hope that this address, in turn, will enlighten each individual who dares lend their focused and undivided attention for the duration. In addition to the above stated facts, it should be noted that, without exception, any viewpoint contradictory to the one I am about to express will be welcomed with equal portions meticulous scrutiny and respectful contemplation. It is, alas, the solitary ability of the human mind not only to reason but to form an emotional response which separates man from beast. To establish a connection with other people; to regard those around us with compassion; to seek bonds of unity and understanding; these are the very foundations of human nature which brought us from the intellectual confines of our distant ancestors to the thriving hive of human intellectualism that is within our grasp today. The absolute essence of what it means to be human — if not for the sake of harmonious co-existence then, at the very least, for the primal purposes of survival, propagation and prosperity. These facets of the human experience are the very ones which separates our species from the wild and, indeed, grants us the aforementioned superiority over our Earthly domain (at least where higher cognitive abilities are concerned). After all, it was Neil Gaiman who said “Empathy is a tool for building people into groups, for allowing us to function as more than self-obsessed individuals.”
Granted, empathy is only one method to achieving the end result of a common agreement on this and any other disputed or otherwise controversial topic. Empathy, however, seems to be at the forefront of those instinctual human responses which is found lacking in contemporary society with increasing frequency. It is only the willingness to consider the experiences of another individual that leads to the greater understanding required to bridge those gaps in our collective consciousness which serve to isolate us. Isolation breeds mistrust, mistrust breeds fear, fear breeds hatred and hatred breeds nothing for it is a cold, solitary state that strives only to fuel itself. Only after we stop asking “Why doesn’t this person (or persons) stop yelling, why does this person (or person) demand me to change?” can we begin to ask “What can I do to help my community at large? How can I contribute to make life more beneficial for everyone?” It is necessary to ask these questions because only after we’ve asked them can we begin to entertain the possibility of discovering any real solutions.
Disregarding the racial elements of this article momentarily, with awareness of (and respect to) their pivotal relevance to this discussion, it is certainly not entirely derivative to suggest that random identification requests from the authoritative structure which acts as an extension of our centralized government can be viewed as unconstitutional. This seemingly small procedure holds the potential to open the figurative floodgates of a systematic and deliberate violation our most fundamental and valued tenants as proud citizens of a free society. If the circle is willing to dismiss any injustice perpetrated against the triangle then the circle is inviting injustice against itself. In this metaphor the circle represents any portion of a population which may be considered a majority while the triangle represents the remaining minority of the population. In this particular instance, when we apply this metaphor to the original authors assertions, it is implied that the majority feel strongly in favor of a) the continued procurement of the personal information of citizens in a randomized fashion b) the normalization of impromptu pedestrian interrogation and c) the dismissal of any potential racial profiling existing in the practice.
Even if you do not perceive a threat from the gathering of information or feel intimidated by the demand for compliance, even if trust the hypothesis that these small intrusions create a safer environment, you must also consider that reality is entirely dependent on one’s perspective. Perspective built upon a lifetime of interpretation and experience. As goes the old saying ‘never judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes’, so too should it never be assumed that the plight of the triangle is invalid based solely on the circumstances of the circle.
tl;dr I’m just rambling using fancy words and being a self-indulgent windbag. bonus points if you read this far you are a true champ.
Sorry, Hoist, your ramble is just too much for these old peepers. Couldn’t get through the first para without having severe flashbacks of a pontificating Montrealman. Love ya, buddy.
Hahaha! I read the first few sentences and then the last few. I liked the comment irrespective of its point!
@hoist… my eyes just glazed over. too long a rant for this place i think.
i think the cops should stop and do checks where the most crime is reported.
where the most violence and gun play is at. i bet when hells angels get back it straighten out a few things.
If street checks are a good thing, why didn’t they stop all that shooting and violence last year? On the same friggin street the Police Station is on!
Its harassment plain and simple.
Concluding that disproportionate streets checks are due to racism is junk science.
Factor out where these checks are taking place (high crime, low income areas) where blacks are over represented. You might then find that cohort then more matches its representation?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-7o9xYp7e…
10 wonderful reasons why you should NEVER talk to the police.
Methinks gets its 😉 too bad nobody takes the time to read or think these days (a general observation, not a jab at anyone in particular), people just want to shove their opinion out as quickly as possible. “Ugh, thoughtful and eloquently written content, what a douchebag — downvote” Most of what I wrote is for sure nonsense (I was sort of making a point) but I like to think there are one or two clever bits in there. I guess we’ll never know.
Also writing this comment helped me work through some challenging times (the 30 minutes it took for my donairs to get here). (Yes, I ordred donairs at 12pm, I work nights, don’t judge me!) (It’s alright if you judge me.)
I love midnight donairs!
Uncle: a street check is meant to gather intelligence on crime, not prevent crime. I’d bet the increase in checks in the black community was a result of an extraordinary increase in street crime and murders… but then I’m guessing like the rest of my detractors.
lmao what are these “checks” keeping us safe from? “Ghetto” super predators? lol I mean, when was the last time, gun violence (and most violence in general) in Halifax hit anyone except the intended target? Lets not act like we are in the states, hell even T.dot, where there is a greater chance, and large documented percentages, of innocent bystanders from gun violence. Seriously, someone show me one example from Halifax…or NS even. And did we so quickly forget? We don’t care when these animals/savages kill each other off, good riddance! Their only street garbage, peddling drugs usually, and deserve what they got. It’s extremely random that violent crime around here is random. So if most victims are targets, and usually in any article about said gun violence, these victims are usually no good pieces of shit that had it coming because they were drug dealers, why is there such concern about their safety now, to the point people are arguing street checks are vital? Could it be, people only care because it helps back up their point in the argument? I’d love to see if the people arguing FOR street checks, will be in the next thread about some dealer getting murdered by getting shot, not randomly, and see what the reaction is, ie will it be that a street check could have prevented this tragedy and we lost a young persons life, or good riddance to the street trash?
Kind of like how someone alluded to when the HA get back, they are gonna set things straight and everything will be awesome again (like the Leggo song). I mean these guys are just awesome straight up good dudes, no violence unless needed and then ensure no innocents ever get hit (except maybe that wife of that guy, when they executed them in their home in the country around here). I mean at least when they take someone out, you know it had to be done and it was just some scumball they helped take off the streets. Also, BONUS, they do toy drives! Hell they will probably even drive down these contentious street checks!
i think the cops should stop people and do checks where the most crime is reported.
where the most violence and gun play is at. i bet when hells angels get back it straighten out a few things.
So, I’m a criminal walking down the street on my way to commit a crime, and a cop stops and asks me where I’m going, and I say “well officer, I am on my way to commit a crime”, said no person, ever!!
Street checks are a complete waste of time, not to mention a violation of my right to privacy.
What’s the big whoop? Cop stops you to ask questions, tell ‘im it’s none of his business, better yet, start asking him questions. Tell ‘im you have some place to be, so if there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way….easy.
The unfortunate thing is you cannot prove a negative. We will never know (because those being checked will never say) how many crimes were interrupted by these checks. The guy in the car or hanging around may just have been casing a place, checking a mark, or whatever and the officer doing the check may have just deterred the crime. We will never know.